View Full Version : Water changing setup
ArkyLady
11-28-2002, 12:56 PM
The Python type systems for cleaning gravel/changing water would sure make things easier, but I just can't bring myself to directly add my nasty tap water that I myself won't even drink straight into my aquariums without being treated first. No matter the concentrations. I'm also looking at setting up a marine system (hopefully a reef if I get my nerve up to try it) at some point in the future and I would definitely not want to put my tap water straight into that system (I know that I will have to setup a RO/DI filtration system for that tank).
Does anyone have some DIY plans for setting up a water changing system for larger tanks? In my small 10gal by the time I clean the gravel, it has syphoned out enough water for a water change usually, but with the 55gal it generally has not and I end up having to let it drain extra water and then have to lug back 15 or so gals of water to refill it. I keep thinking about how this 55gal setup will need to be moved to a 100galish tank later and how much work that will be doing it the way I currently do and it frightens me.
I've been invisioning some setups for this, but figured others had already setup some type of system to tackle this issue. I'm trying to setup something that will work far into the future when I have a few largish tanks setup so I don't have to keep updating it as this obession grows.
I have an extra bathroom that noone uses in the house, so I'm thinking of setting up my filtration system there with a 25galish resevoir of freshly filtered water for top offs/changes. However, this room is located 30 to 35 feet from the rooms my tanks will be in so I don't know if that will be much of an issue trying to setup something to pump the water this far.
Anyhow, thought this might be an interesting topic for the new board. I've done several searches (google, msg boards, etc), but almost every time I find some information people are using Python type systems and I just really don't want to go that route.
i'll get a pic for you later.......
i have just what you need maybe, python didn't work for me either but because i have no sinks to add it to. also, my 90g is in the basement so i doubt it would siphon well at all as it would only be like a 2ft drop to the sink over like 20ft or so.
the basic gist of it is i have a surge 650 (or 6500) pump/powerhead and to this i added a short piece of hose that fit the outlet tightly and then put a hose repair end onto. then i use a hose hooked to the pump to move water. total cost was only around $40 or so.... give or take the hose.
i leave mine mounted in the tank as i do fill directly from and old washer hookup from a "Y" junction to blend hot and cold water. but you could also take the pump and put that in a reservoir and pump the water back in like that.
i'll post a pic later......
as promised.........
it is actually a surge 3500 pump/powerhead and runs @ 650 gph with 4 ft of head they claim. i do like 30-40% i think, maybe 10-20 minutes each way, i should have timed it earlier......
it might be a thought to try......
OrionGirl
11-29-2002, 11:18 AM
We have a 180 gallon SW system, so we had to figure something out for water changes as well.
The solution we came up with involves a garden cart (with hard rubber tires) and a large agricultural sprayer tank. We got a 65 gallon sprayer tank because it would sit on the cart, and best of all, it drains from the bottom. We run the filter water directly into the tank, add salt, and have a powerhead and heater in there to mix and bring it up to temp. Then, roll the cart into the living room, open the valve, and the water drains directly into the sump on the SW tank. No hauling involved.
The garden cart is a flat bed, cost about $70. The sprayer tank was about $80 as well. Only down side is the occassional algae growth (pain to clean the inside). Otherwise, this works great.
wetmanNY
11-29-2002, 12:08 PM
Is it Rubbermaid that makes the familiar big plastic garbage can with a pair of wheels set into the base and a tight slosh-free lid?
Mark it in magic marker: AQUARIUM ONLY!
Hey wetguy!
I normally don't care much for most people's sig lines, but yours was hilarious... I'm currently rushing to finish LotR again so I'll be fresh before the next movie comes out (I was up til 2am this morning) and I just started giggling when I read your signature.
Sorry for intruding on the thread...
Val
JSchmidt
12-02-2002, 9:09 AM
Originally posted by wetmanNY
Is it Rubbermaid that makes the familiar big plastic garbage can with a pair of wheels set into the base and a tight slosh-free lid?
Mark it in magic marker: AQUARIUM ONLY!
They do indeed, but my experience (not dissimilar from others who've weighed in on this) is that the trash can will eventually collapse around the wheel well, rending the wheels immobile and possible cracking the can. It might work if you never filled the can more than half full, but even so, that's a lot of weight to support on two cheap wheels.
ArkyLady, can you tell us what makes your water sufficiently nasty that you don't think it's good for your fish? What sort of treatment do you envision performing on this water that would make it better? That might help us provide some more focused answers.
HTH,
Jim
ArkyLady
12-02-2002, 11:56 AM
I haven't had good experience with those trash cans on wheels just using them for trash, I'd think the weight of the water would break it down rather quickly.
JSchmidt, it's just city water with large amounts of chlorine. The chlorine content is so high that after you take a shower your skin feels and smells like you just got out of a swimming pool.
After discussing all this with hubby, he's looking into a whole house filtering system. I would probably add an additional filter for my fish water setup anyway, but I'm going to hold off on this project until he decides what he wants to do and I see what type of filter he gets.
That's probably your best bet. it wouldn't hurt to have the water tested to find out exactly what's in it. Your water company should have a report on file that you could request.. I have over twenty large tanks and I still use a bucket for the most part. Any major refilling I attach the Python on a "one way to the tank" route. With the amount of water I use I don't see the sense in running water just to get the Python to siphon on the other end.
latazyo
12-02-2002, 2:03 PM
does newly added tap water have to be treated before entering the tank, or can you treat it IMMEDIATELY afterwards?
what I mean is:
can I pump it form the tap into the aquarium (with the fish and the other 70% of the water in it)
THEN treat it with amquel?
ArkyLady
12-02-2002, 2:13 PM
latazyo, there was a discussion about this not long ago. Some say it's fine to do that and some say it's not heh
I'd prefer ideally to have the water fully filtered/treated before adding it to my tank, but that's not always possible depending on the circumstances.
It's my understanding that the chlorine in the water damages their gills. No matter how quickly you treat the water after adding it to the tank, the fish would surely have some contact with the chlorine. Seems reasonable to me that over time this could cause problems.
Perhaps I'm just too overprotective, my teenage son acuses me of that all the time :) But I won't drink my tap water without it being filtered and I wouldn't expect my fish to live in water I won't even drink.
TnCgal
12-03-2002, 4:05 AM
Originally posted by latazyo
does newly added tap water have to be treated before entering the tank, or can you treat it IMMEDIATELY afterwards?
what I mean is:
can I pump it form the tap into the aquarium (with the fish and the other 70% of the water in it)
THEN treat it with amquel?
Latazyo,
Yes this "should" be fine, but with qualification :
I would do this if and only if you use either Amquel or Prime to dechlorinate.
The reason for this is that much of the tap water that is being used across the country now is being treated with Chloramine as a relatively inexpensive water treatment. It only takes a very small amount of Chloramine exposure for a very short period of time to wipe out an entire tank full of fish which is why it is SO important to be extra-careful now with our dechlorination practices and we really need to make sure that all of our dechlorinators specifically say they eliminate Chloramine, but Chloramine is not eliminated as quickly with some dechlorinators as it is with Prime or Amquel due to their chemical makeup. The only way to be totally sure of the composition of your water is to visit your water department's website or ask for a copy of the report.
So yes, you "should" be fine, but make sure that if you are going to make that a practice, that you continue to use Amquel as you have been. :)